Our Photography Trip will last 9 days. We will be in Kyrgyzstan on 13 - 21 July 2024. To make a brief summary, we will meet with a shaman and participate in a shaman ritual. We will learn what different types of shamans do and listen to their stories. We will photograph the game we call Kökbörü or Buzkashi in the land where it was born. We will take photos of the Kyrgyz people hunting with eagles and listen to their stories. One day, we will be a guest at a traditional felt making workshop and photographer felt making. We will see how tents are made and photograph them. We will visit a community that still lives with its ethnic costumes and take photographs.
About me: I'm an archeologist and art historian also photographer. I make photo tours mostly. This means we go to some hidden places and some villages. Some non-touristic areas. Which is very good. Each of our tour is unique.
Accommodation: On this trip, we will stay in hotels in the cities. However, when we go out of the city, we will stay in tents called comfortable tents. There will be no toilets or bathrooms in our tents. These areas will be outside the tent and in common use. We will have dinner in the tent restaurant again. Our trip will include all transfers within Kyrgyzstan, breakfasts, dinners and lunches on some days. Are you ready for exploring Kyrgyzstan as a group? If anything is not clear yet, feel free to let me know in the Q&A section! Talk soon!
What's included?
All transportation in Kyrgyzstan
Breakfasts, Dinner, Some Lunches
Accommodation
Entrance of museum
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Trip Itinerary
1
Bishkek
Day 1-2
When we land in Bishkek, we will be picked up from the airport by our guide and our private vehicle and leave our belongings at the hotel. (Depending on flight time, we can just leave our belongings at the hotel and leave.) There are many interesting markets that we will visit today. We will visit a very interesting marketplace formed by stacking many containers on top of each other. Everything from food to clothing is available here. A very interesting place for photography. After this visit, we will visit another market where mostly food is sold.
2
Ala Archa National Park
Day 2-3
After our breakfast, we will go to Ala Archa National Park in the Tian Shan Mountains, spend some time in nature and take photos of the mountains. This park, spread over 164 square kilometers, has a very beautiful nature. We will return to Bishkek after the shooting. A special meeting will be waiting for us in the afternoon. Today we have a meeting with the shaman. Kyrgyz shamans perform healing ceremonies by blending pre-Islamic and post-Islamic cultures. They foretell the future.
3
Burana Tower
Day 3-4
Today, after breakfast, our journey is 150 km in total and will take 3 hours. First we will visit Burana Tower. Later, we will see the balbals of the ancient Turks and learn their story. Today we will have lunch with a Kyrgyz family. In the afternoon, the Kökbörü game will be waiting for us. After taking our photos during the Kokboruü game, we will reach our village where we will stay tonight.
4
Song-Kul
Day 4-5
After our breakfast, the journey we will travel today will be 250 km and will take approximately 5 hours. Today we will climb to an altitude of 3060 meters and visit Son Kul Lake. However, on our way to the lake, we will continue our journey by seeing and photographing people who still live in their local clothes. Families still living as nomads on the road will also enter our photographs. Our accommodation this evening will be in large felt tents, which we call yurts, which nomads still used to live.
5
Issyk Kul
Day 5-6
After breakfast, our journey today will be 300 km and will take approximately 5 hours. The lake we will go to today will be Issyk Kul Lake, one of the few lakes in the world that is higher than sea level. Issyk Kul lake is located at the foot of the Tien Shan or Tian Shan Mountains. On the way to the lake, we will stop by a village where people make felt yurts and learn the intricacies of yurt construction and take photos.
6
Karakol
Day 6-7
We will set off after breakfast and our journey is 220 km in total. Our journey will take about 4 hours. Our goal is to reach Karakol. Of course, we have stops along the way. One of them will be Skazka Canyon. We will photograph the red rocks as much as the sun allows. We will take a photo break at a waterfall on our way again. We will also have lunch here.
7
Cholpon Ata
Day 7-8
We will set off after breakfast and travel 200 km in total. Our journey will take 3 hours. Our last stop will be Cholpon Ata. Today we will visit a very interesting mosque. Dungan Mosque has an interesting and colorful architecture reminiscent of Buddhist temples. On our way, we will visit the Semenovskoye natural area. Here we will see and photograph horses in the middle of nature and take a lunch break. At the end of the day, we will reach Cholpon Ata, have dinner and rest at our hotel.
8
Bishkek
Day 8-9
We will set out again after breakfast. Our journey today is 270 km and will take approximately 4 hours. We will visit an open air museum. Ruh Ordo Museum is an interesting museum right on the edge of Issyk Kul Lake. Afterwards, we will have a 1-hour boat trip and have lunch. On our way, we will stop by a village and see and photograph traditional felt carpet making. We will reach Bishkek in the evening, have dinner together, reach our hotel and rest.
9
Bishkek
Day 9
Today is the day to say goodbye to Kyrgyzstan. Some of the things we see and learn will surprise us. One day we will take beautiful portraits, the other day we will take beautiful landscapes. Like every trip, Kyrgyzstan will take its place among the unforgettable ones.
Trip Summary
Accommodation
Hotel
9 days trip
Bishkek, Ala Archa National Park & 7 more
Transportation
Car
What's excluded?
Tips
Drinks at the lunch and dinner
Travel insurance
International flight ticket
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Kyrgyzstan
Shaman visit, Kokboru game, nature 
All transportation in Kyrgyzstan 
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